There are some people who need constant audio companionship to keep us sane/motivated. Music is the soundtrack to our creativity. It makes work possible, helps define who we are and adds just enough fuel to our day to get us over most major hurdles. Each week, thanks to our friends at Inspired Mag, we aim to bring you a new musical suggestion, complete with a recommendation for it’s “intended use”. We hope to explore the full spectrum of musical tastes, so check back each week!

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A few weeks back we did Music For Productivity about Fever Ray and some of our readers were confused because the album is a couple of years old. It’s our own fault for not explaining that Music For Productivity isn’t a vehicle for promoting new albums. Rather, it’s a way for us to take a break from designing to discuss something everyone loves… music. With that in mind, I dug into my CD collection to pull out a 90’s favorite this week. If you don’t know what a CD is, you can read about it on Wikipedia.

When Travis released The Man Who in 1999, it was a final gasp for air from a dying rock radio era. The airwaves were pummeled with artists like Smash Mouth, Kid Rock, Sugar Ray… I can’t even finish this sentence. My guts are turning over.

The album was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London (where the Beatles made records) and was produced by Radiohead/Beck producer Nigel Godrich. It sounded great. The SONGS were great. What’s more, the album was released on major label Epic Records. Does anyone else remember when a major label could release stuff like this? Surely the world’s oldest man remembers.

Walter Breuning, age 114 was born on September 21st, 1896 in Great Falls, Montana (USA). He’s so old that his wife died of old age in 1957, before the CD was even invented. When Mr. Breuning passes away, I will be next in line as the world’s oldest man. They will bury me with a copy of this Travis record and maybe my Commodore 64 if my dad can find it in his garage.

The moral of the story is that not all good music was released this year. Some would even argue that NO good music has been released yet this year. So grab a copy of The Man Who by Travis, spin it up get back to work.

Intended Use: Perfect for creating pleasant, well constructed, analog designs. The client asks for a smooth and friendly UI and muted tones. You want to spend hours getting every line perfect. CD version also makes a nice coaster for your Sanka or whatever.